Conservation News

Helmeted hornbills lost to poaching for trinkets for China/Japan.

Posted Sat, 19 Mar 2016 12:31:01 GMT by JW Dowey

Why should we put up with crime syndicates who blatantly remove even well-known wildlife from their habitat, with rarity almost the profit motive. With less-known animals and plants, one of our major weapons, tho I can think of others, is awareness that if these nations sell anything to us, we must all stop all possible trade. That is the only way forward. The alternative is to accept a return to the purest of ancient trade beliefs: profit before everything!

How fish may survive and even increase their populations

Posted Wed, 09 Mar 2016 09:05:00 GMT by JW Dowey

When can cod and tuna finally be left to produce a viable population? Without science, it is highly improbable we would have any left. In the Pacific, the situation is that less industrial fishing leaves locals to decide just how they like their fish and chips.

From cougars to tree frogs and tiger to elephant, we protect the wild from many threats. It is not only orangutans that are affected by lack of planning and knowledge in wildlife reintroductions. The situation on the ground and in the labs that unearth genetic mistakes is made clear with painstaking research. The future could leave us with little wildlife in Africa, SE Asia or in fact, anywhere, unless the planning is logical and forward-looking.

New Species of Rafflesia for Philippines.

Posted Mon, 29 Feb 2016 19:59:00 GMT by Paul Robinson

Plants such as Rafflesia spp. are closest to the Euphorbias, but literally stand out as amazing examples of evolution to attract insects for pollination and mammals for dispersal. We take off our hats, and place it round our noses to a plant that parasitizes and almost paralyses us, and perpetually pleases flies!!!

Raven-mad or just nutcrackers: mutualism among trees and crows.

Posted Fri, 05 Feb 2016 10:50:00 GMT by Dave Armstrong

The joy of mutualism is in forever finding new connections although in this case, we should have listened to the seers at least as long ago as 1653. Many crows and their relatives hoard food n activity known as scatter-hoarding. Even the giant of the family, the raven, has been recorded as encouraging the limited tree growth in isolated patches of almost-Arctic Shetland. No wonder the Norse regarded the species as among the gods.

Parrots that can't fly or breed

Posted Sun, 17 Jan 2016 15:57:00 GMT by Dave Armstrong

Whatever you think of deadbeat species or lost causes, the kakapo certainly isnt one of them. This year may see an upturn in their fortunes finally after years of dedicated effort on New Zealands islands in the cold, unfruitful and uninspiring situations we have placed this bird in.

Rare cats can be counted

Posted Sat, 02 Jan 2016 10:41:08 GMT by Dave Armstrong

If a beast can barely be found, is it extinct, rare or just shy!. This is increasingly a great challenge for biologists who have to conserve habitat, yet somehow discover what lives in it. The niches available in any given environment offer surprising opportunities on occasions, but there is an even larger problem of rapidly decreasing (other) species, and fragmentation of habitat.

Latest IUCN news on threats to species everywhere !

Posted Sat, 26 Dec 2015 13:05:00 GMT by Dave Armstrong

Cats, dogs, tigers and sharks, turtles, butterflies and beetles: take your pick. The danger is in every species we know becoming more and more uncommon. Habitat loss varies from wetland draining, damming and forest clearance to marine pollution, ice loss and mountain tourism. The IUCN at least keep us up-to-date on many animals and plants. Beware- you could be losing one of your local favourite species, and you never knew!

Having a whale of a time

Posted Thu, 26 Nov 2015 10:41:33 GMT by Paul Robinson

Science has followed many large mammals recently, in efforts to conserve and understand their habitats and their lives. Now, new modes of migration in humpbacks open up a can of krill for yet more investigations.

Rare Rainforest Trees assume Great Importance

Posted Wed, 29 Apr 2015 08:39:05 GMT by Dave Armstrong

Great research requires a similar amount of attention, as we concentrate on climate change and global warming. One of our most significant assets is the Amazonian forests that absorb more of our carbon dioxide than any other sink. Here is a possible link to the answers we need to preserve this vitally-important function and our own world as we know it.

Jumby hawksbills enjoy their beach

Posted Mon, 27 Apr 2015 08:14:25 GMT by Dave Armstrong

While plastic and chemicals destroys turtles at sea, the nesting sites are receiving much more care now to ensure the rarest species can still slowly reproduce. There are officially none more cared-for than Jumby Bay on an island off Antigua. The private island situation helps, but any extra aid has to count with all critically endangered species that we so often have to save from extinction.

Cuban crocodile gets a lift !

Posted Mon, 20 Apr 2015 08:22:41 GMT by Dave Armstrong

The need to get pure bred animals back into the wild as well as create a genetic diversity from all available stock is emphasised in this exercise. Swedish crocs are being sent to their Cuban origins to help increase both survival and genetic stock.

The future of Australia's conservation efforts?

Posted Thu, 09 Apr 2015 09:36:17 GMT by Dave Armstrong

How to prevent the tragic loss of life among Australias native fauna? The process of rapid extinctions over the past few centuries show little sign of declining without powerful efforts from the population, government and action groups. Leadbetters possum sets the target for preserving the habitat for a very rare, almost invisible animal, terribly threatened but worth conserving as an example for many others.

New monkeys, same old monkeying-around with forests.

Posted Thu, 05 Mar 2015 10:31:01 GMT by JW Dowey

Where in the world can we discover new primates? The answer is only in tropical rainforests, but they will certainly be endangered species, like several of the titis and many, many others. We only have one solution to this tragic loss of life, species, habitat and ecosystems. Stop cutting down the last remnants of these once-great forests. It doesnt even make commercial sense, as this business is never going to be sustainable. Greed is the motive and its result has always been the same.

Pangolin conservation corrupted/immense losses explained.

Posted Tue, 24 Feb 2015 09:35:01 GMT by Dave Armstrong

So does Vietnam rehabilitate its wildlife in reserves, or just sneak back and eat them later? It is a question that every international worker has to ask themselves in every corrupt regime, for every single expensive effort to improve lives and wildlife. It is our joint responsibility to improve the environment, but our partners must be suspect in many cases.

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